Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Dawn of a Grand Era

When they arrived at Dixintong, the moment Xu Qinning entered the hall arm in arm with Cheng Xiaoyu, she dazzled everyone present. It was beyond the metaphor of a flower stuck in a pile of manure; Cheng Xiaoyu had clearly crossed into the territory where the gods and men alike would rage at such injustice.

Yet Cheng Xiaoyu suffered in silence. If he so much as brushed against Xu Qinning by accident, his arm would be met with a merciless pinch. He had long cast aside his pride, begging her not to cling to him anymore. The Su family had produced one son per generation for nine generations, and he feared that if this went on, his line would end here. If he had to die, he wished it could be quick.

But Xu Qinning only replied, “For me to hold your arm is a fortune beyond measure for you. There are countless men who’d beg for such favor and never receive it, and yet you complain. Besides, a beating means affection, and scolding means love. My overflowing love for you won’t take no for an answer!”

Cheng Xiaoyu was on the verge of tears, silently vowing to avoid Xu Qinning at all costs from now on, never provoking her again.

The two of them first went to the Sharp counter to repair Xu Qinning’s phone screen. Normally, Xu Qinning would never bother to fix something broken, but she needed to retrieve some numbers from the device, so she had no choice. She removed her SIM card, tossed the phone to the staff, and dragged Cheng Xiaoyu away to look at new phones. After a while, they gradually drifted apart.

Cheng Xiaoyu, however, was searching everywhere for the counter selling "PON" phones. In his previous life, he was a die-hard Apple fan. Back in 2007, when the first PON was released in the U.S., he had paid a hefty price for one, and it had seemed like a marvel.

Without exaggeration, PON had ushered in a brand-new era for smartphones. Cheng Xiaoyu had once wondered why, in this timeline, PON had been so late to arrive. He suspected it was due to issues with sound quality and copyrights; since MP3s hadn’t gone mainstream, Apple couldn’t make enough profit from them to fund further development, thus causing the delay. Of course, this was all conjecture on his part.

When Cheng Xiaoyu finally found PON in a remote corner, he felt a surge of excitement. Without hesitation, he spent over five thousand yuan to buy it. Testing the device, which was identical to the revolutionary phone from his past life, he was certain that the era of smartphones was unstoppable and would soon transform everyone’s lives.

At that moment, Cheng Xiaoyu finally felt the thrill of being a transmigrator, holding the key to the future. He couldn’t help but grin at the thought of writing a simple game and raking in millions of dollars in the new age.

He chatted with the salesperson for a while and learned that the second-generation PON, known as PON3, had already launched in America at the start of 2010. However, since PON wasn’t nearly as powerful as in his previous life, and it hadn’t yet reached the world-changing force of the fourth generation, it wasn’t taken seriously in China, where domestic brands were favored. As a result, only the first generation was available, which left Cheng Xiaoyu a little disappointed.

After a bit of idle talk, Cheng Xiaoyu left his number with the salesperson, asking to be called as soon as PON3 arrived so he could come pick one up. The salesperson agreed.

Not far away, Xu Qinning had her eye on the latest Sharp flip-rotating phone. She was about to buy it when she realized her benefactor had vanished. She told the clerk she’d be back and began searching for Cheng Xiaoyu. She brushed off a few young men who came to ask for her number, growing more and more impatient, wishing to buy her phone and leave quickly.

Just as she spotted Cheng Xiaoyu’s plump figure, a hand tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to see a young man in a dark gray flannel suit, his hair slicked back, a blue scarf around his neck, and a gold-buckled belt at his waist—all but broadcasting his wealth on his face.

Xu Qinning frowned slightly. “Can I help you?”

The young man, unfazed by her cold demeanor, said, “I saw you wanted to buy that Sharp phone. I’ve already bought it for you.” Without so much as asking her opinion, he handed the phone over.

Xu Qinning’s expression transformed into a brilliant smile. “Wow, a phone! Is this for me?” She gazed at him with delighted surprise.

The young man nodded, visibly pleased with himself.

Xu Qinning accepted the phone and, in a syrupy voice, asked, “Am I only worth a phone to you?”

The young man replied immediately, “Of course not! If you’d like, my Mercedes is parked downstairs. I’ll take you to Shin Kong Place, and you can shop until you’re satisfied.”

Xu Qinning beamed, “Alright, just a moment.” Then she darted toward Cheng Xiaoyu and called out loudly, “Honey, we’ve got the money for the abortion! Some fool wants to take us shopping at Shin Kong Place!”

Cheng Xiaoyu caught a whiff of her perfume and a chill ran down his spine. The moment he heard the word “honey,” he knew Xu Qinning was up to her usual antics, ready to perform. Feeling her hand once more on the soft flesh of his arm, he was filled with sorrow, wondering what crime he must have committed in a past life to deserve such a tormentor. Yet he had to play along, or she would attack him again with her merciless grip.

Holding his newly purchased PON, Cheng Xiaoyu whispered to Xu Qinning, “How are we playing this?”

She leaned in and murmured, “Improvise.”

Cheng Xiaoyu felt her warm breath in his ear, and inadvertently, the fullness of her figure pressed against his arm, sending a pleasant warmth through him. Even so, he straightened up, putting on a solemn and dignified air.

All eyes in the phone store were already drawn to them. A girl like Xu Qinning was a beacon in the night, and her shout ensured that everyone was paying attention.

The young man, clearly unaccustomed to such an awkward scene, was reluctant to part with the phone he had just given away. He opened his mouth, speechless.

Cheng Xiaoyu smiled at him and said, “You really are a kind man! My wife’s a bit unstable. Ever since her abortion, she keeps saying she feels our child following her around. We just came from the hospital. Please, sir, be generous and don’t mind her.”

Xu Qinning hadn’t expected Cheng Xiaoyu to throw her under the bus first. She let out a cold chuckle and, tightening her grip on his arm, retorted, “I scam and cheat outside just to support you, let you eat and drink, let you enjoy life, and this is how you repay your delicate and beautiful, sweet wife?”

The young man was stunned by their nonsensical exchange. He began to suspect this was some kind of scam. Not even wanting the phone anymore, he said, “Sorry to bother you—I didn’t know you two were together. The phone is yours. I’ll be going now!”

Cheng Xiaoyu, smarting from Xu Qinning’s pinches, shook free of her grasp and, pretending to be angry, grabbed the young man’s hand. “Sir, didn’t you promise to take this shrew to Shin Kong Place? Don’t leave!” Then, switching to a pleading tone, “Brother, have mercy! Save me! This woman is driving me insane! I don’t even know her—just take her away!”

The young man, startled by Cheng Xiaoyu’s actions, was convinced these two must be up to something, causing a scene in public so brazenly. “That’s not what I meant! Let go of me!” he protested.

Seeing Cheng Xiaoyu had slipped from her grasp and was calling her names, Xu Qinning walked over with a charming smile, seized his arm again, and said, “Husband, don’t be naughty! Last night while we watched the moon, you called me your sweetheart, and now you call me a shrew because there’s someone new?” Then, in a sinister undertone, “If you like this man so much, I’ll make sure he never has children!”

The young man, startled by her words, broke free and shouted, “She’s insane!” before turning and running away.

Cheng Xiaoyu called after him, “Brother, your phone! Your phone!”

Hearing that, the young man ran even faster.

Xu Qinning bent over with laughter at the sight of his fleeing figure.

Cheng Xiaoyu bowed in apology to those around, “My foolish wife is a bit unwell in the head, kind folks, please forgive us.” Yet no one laughed; they all began to wonder if the two of them were truly mad.

Xu Qinning smacked Cheng Xiaoyu on the back of the head, “He’s gone—what are you still acting for? Go pay for my phone!”

Cheng Xiaoyu held up the phone the young man had bought. “Isn’t this it?”

Xu Qinning scoffed, “As if I’d care for something given by that kind of person. What phone did you buy? Let me see.” Before he could react, she snatched the PON bag from him, played with the phone for a while, and declared, “This one’s interesting. I’ll confiscate it.”

Cheng Xiaoyu’s curse was cut off as Xu Qinning looked up and warned, “No swearing!”

He put on a fawning smile. “Of course not, ma’am! I’m just a scoundrel anyway. Don’t bother with my old thing—I’ll go buy you a Sharp right now.”

Xu Qinning ignored him. “Take my card, get my phone sorted out. Xixi’s coming to pick me up for dance practice at your company. Waste any more time and I’ll have your head!”

Cheng Xiaoyu could only take his still-warm PON back to the counter to insert the SIM card. It was the last PON available there, and he didn’t feel like searching further, resigning himself to wait for PON3.

Once the card was set up, Xu Qinning was overjoyed, playing with her new phone. The user experience was incomparable, and she was thoroughly entertained.

Cheng Xiaoyu took the Sharp phone the young man had bought back to the counter and asked the clerk to call its intended recipient to collect it himself.

After waiting at the entrance for a while, Xu Qinning received a call from Su Yuxi. Blowing Cheng Xiaoyu a kiss, she headed for the Maybach parked by the curb. After venting her frustrations, she felt much better. When she was young, no one cared about her feelings, and she could only act out scenes with her dolls at home. She never played house—her games were always reenacting arguments between her father and various women. It was only after she became friends with Su Yuxi that this habit improved somewhat.

Today, however, she couldn’t help herself, but thankfully, Su Yuxi’s brother, like Su Yuxi, was outwardly cold but inwardly gentle.

Cheng Xiaoyu finally breathed a sigh of relief, thinking he’d at last sent the walking disaster on her way, and turned to drive his own Ferrari.